Just thought to check here again. I read the comments first. I have a few things to say, firstly GaryW, you don't know squat. Only a very sensitive instrument would have discovered any raised radiation levels in your scared section of America. I have studied up a lot on this and it is not nearly as bad as you or even Sarge are making it out to be. Go look up Chernobyl, large swaths of area around Ukraine were not rendered uninhabitable, and this situation will never get as bad as Cherynobyl.

And for people still worried about the safety of me and my family and not how many millionths their own radiation levels raised or will raise, here is an update I sent out to friends and family:

Hello everyone. Most of my communication is through Skype etc. these days (especially the last few days), but just so I have covered most everyone. I think people are panicking too much. They aren't offering to evacuate Americans from Japan. They are offering to arrange flights for people to nearby Asian countries (at our expense) where we must then arrange our own flights from those countries. I have found a lot of very encouraging info. Here is one. Very reputable site, the UK embassy in Tokyo. This was linked to their top page. Please read it thru, it gets more and more encouraging as you read on.

Are we scared. Of course we are somewhat scared. It is a lot to digest. But please keep in mind my whole life is here. I have the best job I have had yet in Japan right now. I would be working in grocery stores if I went back home, maybe eventually hoping to find a job as a translator or something. I would have to feed my wife and son. Again, the English news is really sensationalizing things. But I just read in the news that the nuclear commission is already criticizing the US govt advising all Americans to leave a 50 miles radius, saying a 50 mile radius is too big and saying the radius recommended by the Japanese govt is the most reasonable. Tokyo is 130 miles from there, and we are watching radiation levels every day, and they have only risen by fractions. If you read the article above and do some more research, you might feel better. I do.

Having said that, we are of course erring on the side of caution. My son's passport had expired, but we have updated it. Back when I was more scared I arranged a trip to Kyoto. Now, I am less worried, but we still have decided to still go to Kyoto tomorrow for a few days, Kyoto is another almost 300 miles away from Tokyo, a total of 420 miles away from the nuclear troubles, well beyond even the worse possible imaginable effects. If things start getting really bad (and again please read the link above) we will stay in Kyoto until we can get a flight to the US. People have offered beds, the most likely scenario being we would stay first with my brother who lives in LA, one flight away, and has a big place and a big heart. We will get through this.

In somewhat lighter news, a good friend of mine, a fellow sumo fan, and someone who I have been in regular contact with since this started, is going to be on CNN Newsroom Friday 10:30 am. She will be interviewed as someone who has "chosen to stay" in Japan. We have been encouraging each other through all of this, so if you have the time, please watch. The actual program starts at US Central time 10:00 am, but her interview will be on at 10:30 am. Frizzy blonde hair, can't miss her. ( : I was chief in charge of calming her down for a while there, so maybe she will mention me. ( :

Just thought to check here again. I read the comments first. I have a few things to say, firstly GaryW, you don't know squat. Only a very sensitive instrument would have discovered any raised radiation levels in your scared section of America.

I posted the link from the front page of the New York Times. That's exactly what I was referring to, "arbitrary units" as I specifically mentioned. "Arbitrary" as in nothing to compare it to.

At no point did I say panic or scared .. no one here is freaking out from unwarranted fears. Don't quote me from Lea's post ... none of which I said. I did say global. I did say an event that all of the world will be living with. An event lasting possibly for weeks will if the spent fuel continues to burn. The entire world will be monitoring this plume. Nothing I said diminishes the immense tragedy and lives lost that Japan now faces or the heroism of those working at the Fukushima site.

Tonight in the US the national news, network and cable, covered the plume heading over the Pacific. They also included Obama and top scientists dismissing the concerns. This is a story being discussed publicly from the highest levels. And I can be certain it will be discussed tomorrow and the day after that too.

Nothing but prayers and concern for those of you living with this, and certainly nothing said that merits any other reaction from you was meant. Be safe.

Please tell me how the monitoring of the "plumes" is going over there.

I wish I could find an English link, but I can't so I'll quote it from the mouth of Mr Edano in my own humble translation, the gov't spokesman over here, and one of my newest favorite people:

Today, Chief Cabinet Secretary Edano admonished the international press, for it's slavish attention to the situation at the nuclear plant in Fukushima and it's apparent ignorance of the equally important condition of the thousands of people who have been displaced due to the earthquake and tsunami.

it's apparent ignorance of the equally important condition of the thousands of people who have been displaced due to the earthquake and tsunami.

None of that is accurate from what I've seen and read. The news reporting for the last week has covered this tragedy non-stop. Tonight's reports that I viewed specifically focussed on the humanitarian crisis throught the stricken regions.

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